Yellow Perch, from Fish from American Waters series (N39) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1889

This chromolithograph of a yellow perch from the American Waters series was created for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes. Here, the fish is displayed alongside fishing tackle and a snail, evoking a scene of leisure and natural abundance. The fish as a symbol carries rich, cross-cultural significance. In early Christian art, the fish, or “ichthys,” served as a discreet emblem of faith, its letters forming an acronym for "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior." Yet, long before Christianity, fish were potent symbols in pagan religions, associated with fertility, the primordial waters of creation, and deities like Poseidon. Consider the snail, often overlooked, yet laden with meaning. The snail’s spiral shell echoes the labyrinth, a symbol of life’s winding journey and the cyclical nature of time. Like the fish, it connects to primal notions of life emerging from the depths. Observe how these emblems resurface, transmuted through epochs, echoing in our collective memory, and engaging our subconscious on a profound level.